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Consumer behavior research

Understand why consumers choose, stay with or leave your brand, and how that changes over time

Sales data shows what consumers bought. It rarely shows why they chose you, what they considered instead or what would make them switch. Credence Research studies consumer attitudes and buying behavior across online and store channels, and can track them over time, so brand, product and channel decisions rest on evidence about the people who make them.

Discuss your consumer research questionSee what the outputs include

The purchase journey, and where evidence is usually thinnest

1Need and awarenessUnprompted awareness
2ConsiderationReasons for rejection
3Purchase channelOnline and store split
4Use and experienceSatisfaction drivers
5Repeat or switchSwitching triggers

Marked items are not visible in sales data. They usually need consumer surveys or interviews.

What does customer tracking mean here?

In this service, customer tracking means measuring consumer attitudes and behavior among representative samples at regular intervals, so changes in awareness, preference or satisfaction can be seen over time. It does not mean tracking identifiable individuals.

Decisions that bring consumer brands to us

These decisions depend on understanding people, not just transactions.

Repositioning a brand

You need to know how consumers see your brand against competitors.

Launching a product

You need to test which consumers are most likely to buy and what would persuade them.

Shifting channel investment

You need to understand how buying differs between online and store channels.

Responding to lost share

You are losing buyers and need to know where they went and why.

Targeting consumer segments

You need segments based on needs and behavior, not just demographics.

Start with what you already know

Most brands have sales data, retailer data and some online reviews. What usually remains uncertain is why consumers choose one brand over another, what they considered and rejected, and how their views are changing.

Questions consumer research can investigate

Attitudes

  • How aware are consumers of our brand without prompting?
  • What do they associate with us and with competitors?
  • How do culture, lifestyle and income shape preferences?

Choice

  • What drives choice in the category?
  • Which brands are considered and rejected, and why?
  • Who influences the decision?

Channels

  • How do consumers research and buy online versus in store?
  • What affects choice on e-commerce platforms?
  • How do promotions change behavior?

Loyalty and change

  • What keeps consumers loyal?
  • What triggers switching?
  • How are attitudes changing over time?

What existing data can tell you, and what needs further research

Sales data, retailer data, online reviews and social media show what consumers do and say publicly. They are weaker on reasons and on people who did not buy.

Where desk research is often sufficient, and where decisions usually need more evidence
TopicExisting data can often showWhat often remains unresolvedHow it can be tested
Purchase behaviorSales and retailer dataReasons for choice and the alternatives consideredConsumer surveys
Brand perceptionOnline reviews and social mediaViews of consumers who do not post publiclyRepresentative surveys
Non-buyersLittle or nothingWhy consumers rejected your brandSurveys and interviews among category buyers
Online behaviorPlatform analytics for your own listingsBehavior across competing listings and retailersSurveys and e-commerce data analysis
Change over timeSales trendsShifts in awareness, preference and satisfactionTracking studies with consistent samples

AI tools can analyze large volumes of reviews and social media posts quickly. Those sources overrepresent people who choose to post, so conclusions about all consumers need representative samples. What consumers say they will do can also differ from what they actually buy.

How evidence gaps translate into research

This example is illustrative. It shows how a study could be designed and does not describe a specific client engagement.

Losing share in a personal care category

Illustrative example
Business question
A personal care brand has lost share over two years and needs to decide whether to reformulate, reposition or change channel focus.
Evidence gap
Sales data shows the decline, and reviews mention price, but it is unclear which buyers left, where they went and why.
Research method
A survey of category buyers including former customers, followed by analysis of switching patterns and purchase drivers.
Deliverable
A switching analysis and segment profiles with the drivers of choice for each.
Decision supported
Whether to prioritize reformulation, repositioning or channel changes.

Our research approach

We apply analytical tools to understand how attitudes form and how personality, culture, lifestyle and income shape behavior.

Methods, what they are used for and their limits
MethodPurposeLimitation
Consumer surveysMeasure attitudes, choice drivers and behavior across a representative sampleStated behavior can differ from actual behavior
Tracking studiesMeasure change over timeRequires consistent samples and questions
Interviews or focus groupsExplore reasons in depthSmall samples; not statistically representative
Review and social media analysisIdentify themes in public commentsNot representative of all consumers
Segmentation analysisGroup consumers by needs and behaviorSegments need validation before use

Consumer research follows applicable privacy and data protection requirements. Results are reported for groups, not identifiable individuals.

What you receive

Deliverables depend on scope, and not every study includes every output. We agree on outputs during scoping.

  • Purchase driver analysis

    What drives choice in the category, and how your brand performs on each driver.

    Use it to set brand and product priorities.

  • Consumer segmentation

    Segments defined by needs and behavior, with size and profiles.

    Use it to target marketing.

  • Channel behavior analysis

    How consumers research and buy online and in store.

    Use it to allocate channel investment.

  • Switching analysis

    Where consumers go when they leave, and why.

    Use it to address share loss.

  • Tracking results

    Changes in awareness, preference and satisfaction across waves.

    Use it to monitor the effect of marketing actions.

Published report or custom research?

Published consumer goods market reports describe category size, trends and major brands. Consumer research is more useful when your decision depends on why consumers choose, reject or switch.

Is consumer research right for your decision?

  • You can name the brand, product or channel decision the research should inform.
  • Sales data shows a change but not the reason.
  • You need to understand non-buyers or former buyers.
  • You want to measure change over time.

If most of these apply, a scoping conversation is likely to be productive. If not, a published report or a short discussion about scope may be a better first step.

Discuss your consumer research question

Frequently asked questions

Discuss your consumer research question

Tell us about the brand, category and decision you are working on.

What happens next

A member of our research team reviews your brief and contacts you to discuss scope and approach. If existing research can answer your question, we will point you to it.

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